The Prefect's Life
by killercakepop
Summary: This is my take on Ishimaru's life leading up to the despair-inducing event. I'm an Ishimondo fan so that will get thrown in eventually, but that won't happen for a few chapters. As the story progresses it will get more mature.
1. Early Years

Chapter 1

Early Years

Kiyotaka Ishimaru was very well behaved. Weekday mornings were always the same: he woke up at 6:30 a.m., made his bed, and walked out to the main room of the apartment. Het set the table, ate breakfast with his parents, and got on the bus to go to school. Today was no different.

The apartment Ishimaru lived in was small, but he had his own bedroom so he couldn't complain about the lack of space. "Good morning, Kiyotaka!" "Good morning, mother!" Ishimaru replied with a slight bow. "Good morning, father!" "Good morning, son," his father replied, glancing up from the morning paper to meet Ishimaru's eyes momentarily. Always look whoever you are speaking to in the eye, that was a lesson Ishimaru's father had taught him.

"Breakfast will be ready in a minute, Kiyotaka. Can you set the table?" His mother asked.

"Yes, of course!" Ishimaru grabbed the plates and silverware off the counter. He was too short to reach the cupboard they were stored in, so either his mother or father always got them down. He set the three places at the table. Breakfast was quiet, and once it was over everyone brushed their teeth. There was only one bathroom, however, so the family formed a line. Ishimaru always went last.

"Alright, Kiyotaka, get your things." His mother knew she didn't have to tell him, as he was usually halfway through getting ready to go before she said anything. Normally this would annoy him, but he knew she was showing how much she cared. Once everyone was ready, they walked to the bus stop. It was still kind of early in the school year, so the sun beat down hot. Once they had reached Ishimaru's bus stop, the parents wished their son luck at school and went on to their bus stop a few blocks down. They had to catch their bus first, so Ishimaru was always around 20 minutes early.

Sitting on the bench as the bus stop, the young student took out a class book and began reading the material that they were scheduled to go over today. He had already read it three times, but a student can never re-read assigned readings too many times.

"What book are you reading today, dork?" he heard another kid say. Without even looking up, he knew who it was. _Has it really been fifteen minutes already? _He thought as he finished the sentence he was reading.

He looked up to meet the other child's eyes. "Good morning, Watanabe!" He always greeted her with utmost respect, even though he knew she would never return the gesture.

"Ugh, I wish I'd never told you my name. You're not even in my class." She said, turning her head to break eye contact.

"I am reading about the seven continents and the one-hundred-and-ninety-six countries in them. Did you know that there are-" He was rudely cut off by the other girl.

"Yeah, I learned all that last year," She groaned, digging her foot at the ground.

As they saw the bus come down the street, Ishimaru put his book away and stood up. Upon boarding, the other girl sat with one of her friends and Ishimaru sat alone. By now, the kids had all formed their own seating chart. The same two kids would always sit next to each other, and Ishimaru would always sit alone.

Morning class went by rather fast, and after another lonely lunch, Ishimaru started watching the clock. Eventually it would reach 1:00 P.M., and Ishimaru would have to go to P.E. He didn't mind the physical endurance it took, he was quite fit for a boy his age. It was mostly... his classmates.

The P.E. bell rang at 1:00 p.m., as it always did. The third-year elementary students only had one classroom, so there was no need to bring their belongings with them since they would be returning in an hour. Most kids just left their stuff wherever it was when the bell rang, but Ishimaru refused to be so sloppy. He hurriedly organized the paper and books on his desk, but right as he stood up another kid knocked the book of his desk before running away. _Forget it,_ Ishimaru thought as he picked up his book. _It's been like this all year, no reason to mention it now._

Once the kids were all wearing their P.E. uniforms, they stood in their respective spots. "Okay, class," their teacher said, getting them to quiet down. "Today we are going to be breaking off into 2 teams for a little game. I'll pick two captains and they will choose their teams." Ishimaru's heart sank, and he did what he always did when the teacher broke the children up into teams. "I volunteer as team captain!" Ishimaru declared, raising his hand. The other kids snickered. "Oh Ishimaru, thank you, but I think I am going to pick to students who haven't been captain yet," the teacher replied to Ishimaru's dismay. _Great_, he thought, _now I look even more stupid._

"Alright, how about Tanaka and Aizawa?" The teacher said. "We will flip a coin to see who picks first." They did the coin toss, and Tanaka was declared the winner. Now came the part that Ishimaru dreaded. "I'll pick… Suzuki," the first boy said. "I'll take Kudo," the other one replied. This went back and forth until only two students remained to be picked. It was not mystery to any of the children who Tanaka would choose, and as the realization that he would be stuck with the last kid dawned on him, Aizawa made a sour face. Ishimaru frowned, knowing that face all too well. It was meant for him, after all.

Tanaka chose Sato, to no one's surprise. "Alright, Ishimaru, that puts you on Aizawa's team." The teacher told him. Ishimaru felt like dragging his feet, but that was no way for a student to act. Ishimaru had a direct order from the teacher, and he would do his best to be an asset for his team no matter what. "Let us do our best during this game, teammates!" Ishimaru exclaimed. "Ugh, calm down, loser," one of the kids said while rolling his eyes. The rest of the class went as it usually did. The other kids either ignored Ishimaru or "accidentally" tripped him. The P.E. teacher did his best to curb their behavior, but it was in vain.

Once the teacher blew his whistle to signal the kids to change out of their uniforms, Ishimaru sighed in relief. The other kids couldn't say much during class, but P.E. was like a free-for-all. He had given up on connecting with the kids here and told himself that it would be better once he got to middle school with kids more like him. After all, today was no different than any other day, right?


	2. 31 August

The alarm went off at 6:15 a.m., 15 minutes earlier than usual. Ishimaru turned his alarm off, and no sooner than he got out of bed his mother knocked on the door. "You can enter," the prefect said, still waking his body up.

"Happy Birthday, Kiyotaka!" his mother said as she entered the room with a big smile. "I made your favorite breakfast this morning, and I think you will enjoy your present." She walked over to the prefect and hugged him hard enough that it almost knocked the wind out of him.

"Thank you, Mother!" he said, returning the gesture. "You're welcome. See you in a minute!" She exited the prefect's room, and he continued to make his bed and get dressed. Once he got to the main room, his father greeted him.

"Happy birthday, son!" His father said, grinning. "Thank you father!" the prefect replied.

"Sorry you had to wake up early again this year, son, but your mother and I really need to work all of our scheduled hours... and I assume you don't want to celebrate your birthday at 8:00 in the evening."

"Do not worry about it Father, I am very much appreciative of what you and Mother do for me," the prefect said with a slight bow.

"Oh, Kiyotaka, please sit down," his mother crooned. "I bought you your favorite flavor of cake, it's in the fridge for when you get home."

He hesitated, and in a voice quieter than what he usually spoke with said "I would actually like to eat it with you, if it is alright to have sugar past 6 just for today."

"Oh, Kiyo," his mother replied struggling to keep a smile. "We couldn't afford a whole cake, so we only got one piece."

"Oh," the prefect said, trying to mask his disappointment. "That is alright, I am sorry for bringing it up."

His father chimed in to lighten the mood again. "If you want we can wait until this evening to open your present. That way we still end the day on a high note."

"Yes Father, I would appreciate that very much!" the prefect said with a smile.

With that the family finished their meal, gathered their things and walked to their respective bus stops.

The second-year middle-school classroom was usually empty twenty minutes before class started, but to the prefect's surprise almost every student was there this morning. "He's here!" he heard one of his classmates say, and suddenly every pair of eyes in the room was on him. He walked to his desk, trying to ignore the awkward staring of the other students.

Ishimaru was a hall monitor at one of the best middle schools in the area. Only two things could get a student into this school: money and grades. Ishimaru may not have had money, but had the best grades at his elementary school. The majority of the kids here had money and good test scores, though not because they were as diligent as the prefect. They were simply born with it.

"Good morning, Ishimaru," the student who sat next to him said. "G-good morning!" the hall monitor stuttered, almost too shocked to speak. Once he go to his seat, the student placed a small wrapped package on his desk. "Happy birthday, Ishimaru," the student in front of him said, smiling. "We all chipped in to get you a gift."

Ishimaru was at a loss for words. He had never received a gift from anyone except his parents. "Ah- I mean, thank you!" He moved the gift to the side of his desk and leaned over to get his pencils and book out of his school bag, but was interrupted by the student next to him. "Aren't you gonna open it?"

"Oh!" the prefect exclaimed. "Forgive me for my rudeness. I was unaware of the proper protocol for receiving gifts at school." "Well," the student said, "It's before class, so hurry and open it."

"Yes, alright." Ishimaru felt the eyes of the other students glued to him. Once he got the wrapping off, he opened the box. Once the box was open, the other students all began laughing uncontrollably. Inside was something he had never seen before. It was a cylinder shape, maybe 6 inches long. He was embarrassed to think that it seemed... phallic in shape. Curiosity peaked, he confided in the other students. "Umm, what is it?" the prefect asked.

"I told you he wouldn't know, pay up!" He heard one student say to another. "Press the button on the bottom, that turns it on!" the student who sat behind him excitedly exclaimed. Ishimaru was frozen still. He had no idea what the item in the box was, but he also wasn't that naive. Judging by the children's reactions, he was certain it was something sexual. His face lit bright red, and just as he felt tears start to build up in his eyes, a loud voice turned the entire room silent.

"What in the world is going on in here?" It was the teacher. Ishimaru sat still in horror, wishing he was anywhere else right now. "Isn't anyone going to answer me?" She walked toward the front of the room, and a look of horror came over her face once she laid eyes on the item on the prefect's desk.

"Ishimaru Kiyotaka," she sternly said as she slammed the box on his desk shut. "Come with me out to the hall." The other students snickered, as if they were completely separate from the incident.

Once in the hall, the teacher sighed and took a deep breath. "I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt here, Ishimaru. It's your birthday, and clearly you didn't buy this item, wrap it, and open it up at school." The prefect was fighting back tears, making it hard for him to speak. "Yes, I am sorry for any trouble my classmates caused on my behalf," he said while biting his lip. "No need to apologize, but I am going to send you to the principal." The prefect whined, and his teacher tried to console him. "You aren't in trouble, don't worry." She went back in the classroom, and emerged a few seconds later with a hall pass.

Once the hall monitor got to the main office, he was instructed to sit and wait for the principal to call him in. It was only a two-minute wait, but it seemed like an eternity to the shaken prefect. He was left with only his own thoughts to console him for the moment. _Why did they do that? Were they playing a joke on me? Pretending to get me a birthday gift only for it to be some kind of joke? What is it about me that makes kids want to be mean to me? _The prefect was fighting back tears the whole time.

The principal finally called him in. Ishimaru sat across from the man, trying to hold back his tears while looking him in the eye. "It's alright," the principal sighed. "Take a minute to cry if you need to." He didn't hold back. He grabbed a tissue, being thankful that a tissue box was so close, and sobbed into it. Kids teased him all the time, but this time was different. It was as if they specifically chose his birthday, on purpose, to play the most cruel joke they could on the boy. He may not have picked up on social cues easy, or knew the language that was rich-genius-middle-school-student, but he wasn't completely oblivious.

Once he began to calm down, the principal spoke again. "Alright, now that it's all out of your system, we can talk. I know you are the victim here, but I need you to carefully examine to behavior you choose that causes kids to do this to you. I know they tease you about your grandfather, but you can't place all the blame on him." The weight of his words were heavy on the prefect's heart.

"With all due respect sir," he gulped," I believe they do not see me as an equal because I am not as gifted as them and I study harder than they do. Geniuses do not like when average people surpass them by putting in extra effort."

"I think that's your problem, Ishimaru," his superior sighed. The hall monitor was stunned. It was as if he was _defending_ the slacker geniuses. "Your attitude needs to change. The other kids like to have fun, there is nothing wrong with that. Of course we encourage all of our students to study diligently, and I know you're a hall monitor, but you should at least cut back on giving the other kids a hard time, alright? Maybe they'll go easier on you."

The prefect didn't know what to do. Did a superior just tell him to let the other students be less-than-ideal students? Perhaps the other students were simply not as mature as Ishimaru. After all, just because his classmates were geniuses did not mean that they would age mentally as quickly as the prefect did. He spent all his time studying while they rotted their brains with television and video games. Perhaps he would heed his superior's words until high school. That was when everything would change for the better. "Alright, sir. I will do my best." They took some time to discuss his plans for high school, and with that, he was excused.

Once the prefect got back to class and was surrounded in the atmosphere that his slacker-genius classmates had established, Ishimaru knew he could not simply abandon his principles for the sake of "getting along." If he was to accomplish his life goal, he had to keep working just as hard- no, harder than he had been, and it was his sworn duty to maintain order. It would be hard, but nothing in life worth doing is easy. If the hall monitor knew one thing, that was it.


	3. Acceptance

Japanese government was the worst class Ishimaru had the displeasure of taking. Actually, the only class that he did not like attending at all. It wasn't so much the teacher, his classmates, or class itself that made it unpleasant. It was the poster on the wall, directly across from him, of every prime minister in the last 20 years. The hall monitor knew that if he was to be on that poster someday he had to do especially well in this class, so you could say that added some extra stress. Although, that was just what he told himself for positive motivation. The real reason was that everyday, he had to see his grandfather's face, staring at him, as if to taunt him.

His classmates also may not have been as bad as the students at his middle school, but only in the way they treated him. Ishimaru attended an extremely well-known college-prep school, so the percentage of geniuses was higher than at his middle school. They left him alone for the most part, save a chuckle or two when his grandfather was brought up in Japanese Government class, but it still bothered Ishimaru to be surrounded by such lazy students. He always had the highest test scores in the class, this was all the proof he needed that they did not apply themselves.

Once class was over, that was it for the day. He oversaw his class' cleaning duties and monitored detention, but there were not detentions today. He was also the president of the public morals committee, a committee he had founded that year, but today was not a meeting day, so he got to go home earlier than usual. His bus ride home was around an hour and a half, and he usually spent it reading. Other kids would look at their phone or play video games, maybe talk to each other about... whatever it was kids talked to each other about. More proof that they did not take their studies seriously. They were lucky school was over, lest he give them detention for improper use of time.

Once he got to his apartment building, he grabbed the mail. Until this year, his parents wouldn't let him get the mail. They were afraid that he would be overwhelmed by the number of bills they received, but the hall monitor convinced them that he was okay with the situation they were in. He had known since he was five years old that they were poor, even if it did take him a year to fully understand it.

That his family was poor bothered him in elementary school, but since he did not need... no, since he did not want what the other kids had - toys, video games, stylish clothes - it was not a problem for him. He was a student, and a student must always study and wear their assigned school uniform, whether school was in session or not.

He also found no reason to find shame in his parents. It was not their fault that they had so many bills, after all. They worked very hard to make sure that the Ishimaru family had a roof over its head and food on the table, that was enough for the hall monitor.

Upon entering the apartment, he hung up his school bag and removed his boots. He gathered the books out of his bag he needed to study and proceeded to the main room table to sort the mail for his parents. The first three were no surprise; bill, bill, loan advertisement. But the fourth and last letter was different from anything he expected. It was a large envelope addressed to him. Could it be a college asking him to apply? It was his first year of high school, that didn't make any sense. Then he read who the letter was from at the top of the envelope.

Hope's Peak Academy. This could not be real. 'No way,' as the cool kids would say. THE Hope's Peak Academy had written a letter to Kiyotaka Ishimaru? He hadn't applied or taken a test to get in, but then again he remembered reading about this when researching high schools. Hope's Peak has scouts that look for the best of the best, there was no entrance exam. But still, the hall monitor never remembered seeing a potential scout. And the kind of people who got in were geniuses, the best of the best. His genius grandfather made it in as the Super High School Level Manager.

Ishimaru shook his head, as if to dispel any of the thoughts he was having. "Speculating will do me no good," he said to himself out loud. "I should open this letter and see what the content includes with my own eyes." He grabbed the letter opener and sat back down at the table. He carefully tore the top open and took the letter out, proceeding to read it out loud to himself.

"Dear Mr. Kiyotaka Ishimaru,

We have followed you ever since your second year of elementary school. We recognized your potential for greatness after your first year of school included a perfect attendance record and near perfect scores. This letter is to formally invite you to attend Hope's Peak Academy next year as a part of the school's 78th class with the title of Super High School Level Hall Monitor. Should you accept, we guarantee that you will live a successful life upon graduation. We have included the necessary paperwork regarding your acceptance or decline, as well as necessary information we feel you should know before making your decision. We hope to see you next year.

Signed, Principal Jin Kirigiri."

The prefect sat in still silence for a few seconds, letting everything he had just read sink in. He went from intrigued to excited in one second and jumped up, letting out cries of extreme satisfaction. "Yes, I did it, I showed them!" He looked back at the letter. "Through hard work and perseverance, even the average man can accomplish anything." He couldn't wait for his parents to get home to tell them the good news.


	4. Class 78

There were surprisingly few geniuses in Ishimaru's class at Hope's Peak Academy, or at least that was what it seemed. He had done some research before going, and was surprised to see how many athletes and otherwise non-intellectual types made it into his class. Of course, just because someone is an athlete does not mean that they are not intellectually gifted, but the fact of the matter was people in his class were accepted with titles such as "Super High School Level Swimmer," "Super High School Level Baseball Star," and even "Super High School Level Idol." This school was going to be like nothing he had ever experienced before.

The students all arrived at the large school three days before their first class. This was to allow time for them to move in to their assigned rooms and get used to the layout of the school. Most kids' parents came with them to help them move in, but unfortunately Ishimaru's parents could not afford neither the hotel room to stay in Tokyo overnight nor the time off from work it would require to go with him. This was alright with him, he was old enough to be out on his own. He didn't have a large amount of belongings to carry with him, anyway. If he absolutely needed something, it could probably be bought or he could at least borrow it from the school.

The day after moving in there was a session for the students of each class to either catch up from break or meet their new classmates. In all honesty, the hall monitor was a little bit nervous to meet his new classmates. He had seen some of them while moving in, but he had only introduced himself. Introductions were not the time and place to "get to know" people. The scheduled class meeting was the place to get to know people. It said so right in the description.

The headmaster of the school oversaw every class introduction. Ishimaru was the first student to enter the room, and when the headmaster greeted him with a warm "Good morning," the hall monitor responded with a deep bow and a hearty "Good morning Mr. Headmaster!" before taking a seat. The other students started to come in, sometimes alone, although a few came in pairs. He wondered if any of them already knew each other or if they were simply that good at social interaction. A couple of the students were a minute late, and normally the hall monitor would scold them but he figured he would let the headmaster handle the situation.

To his surprise, the headmaster didn't seem to mind that anyone was late. The hall monitor trusted his superiors, though, so he held his tongue. Once everyone was seated, the headmaster addressed the class. "Hello, students, and welcome to your first official class meeting! As you may know I am the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy. You can call me Mr. Kirigiri." Ishimaru noticed that one of the girls in the class wasn't looking at Mr. Kirigiri. She almost looked annoyed. He tried to think back to his research on the students, but he didn't recognize her face. He would have to keep his eye on this incredibly rude girl.

"Well," Mr. Kirigiri continued, "this class is about you and getting to know each other better as Class 78, so I am going to turn the floor over to you. When I address you, please stand and say something to the rest of the class. We will start with our Super High School Level Lucky student, Naegi Makoto."

A small boy in a very stylish jacket stood up. The prefect would have to tell this Naegi how stylish his jacket was and how inappropriate it was to wear such clothing to school. "Hi, you can all call me Naegi. I'm not really good at anything like the rest of you, but I'm looking forward to getting to know you all." He seemed kind of nervous, but Ishimaru was happy to have at least one other average student to call his classmate.

"Thank you, Naegi. Next is the Super High School Level Hall Monitor, Ishimaru Kiyotaka." The prefect immediately stood up upon hearing his name. "Good morning fellow students! You may all address me as Ishimaru! Let us all work our hardest to be the best students this school has ever seen!" He sat down and listened as the other students introduced themselves. He took mental notes as to who he would need to watch closely, particularly noting the Super High School Level Gang Leader, Oowada Mondo. How did this thug get into such a prestigious school, and with such a ridiculous title? He also realized the girl he had been eyeing was actually the headmaster's daughter, and took her off of his "watch closely" list.

The rest of the students introduced themselves, and after the session was over the students departed. Ishimaru went back to his room to look over material he was expecting to go over in his classes. About two hours went by, and he started to get hungry. It was around noon, so he figured he would take a break to the cafeteria and get lunch.

The food selection at Hope's Peak was better than at his old school. Ishimaru picked the most nutritious meal he could, found an empty table and sat down. Surprisingly, a few minutes into his meal he was interrupted by a familiar voice. "Ishimaru! Mind if we sit with you?" It was his classmate, Naegi. He looked up to see that Naegi, Maizono, and Kuwata had all sat down across from him. "What?" the prefect said at a loss for words. "We'd like to sit with you," Maizono said with a smile. "O-oh," the prefect stuttered. "Sure." The other three students conversed while Ishimaru ate his meal, and soon more of his classmates came over and sat down with them. After the table got a little more crowded, a voice he dreaded rang behind him. "Man, this school sure is huge, huh?" A large body sat down uncomfortably close next to him. It was the street thug. "I live in the city, but I've never actually been around this part."

The students continued to talk, and Ishimaru tried to take note of who was present and who wasn't. It seemed that Togami, Celes, Fukawa, and Kirigiri were the only classmates missing. He didn't quite know how to feel. He had never eaten with classmates before. They were all talking about their interests; Yamada mentioned an anime he liked, Oogami and Asahina praised the school's exercise facilities, Fujisaki mentioned a computer program she was working on. The hall monitor wondered if he should try to say something, too, when suddenly the street thug started talking louder. "Hey, we should all go do somethin' tonight! I mean, we're gonna be living together for two fuckin' years, so we might as well start hangin' out now."

The hall monitor could not believe his ears. "Excuse me, Oowada, but could you please speak in a less crude manner?" "What, you got a problem with me, dude?" the gang leader said as he stared the hall monitor down. Their eyes locked momentarily, but before any further confrontation could occur, Naegi interrupted. "Hey, Oowada, that sounds like a great idea! What did you have in mind?" The gang leader lifted his gaze from Ishimaru to the rest of the students. "Oh, well I know this awesome karaoke place and it actually isn't too far from here. You can even convince college kids to buy you drinks sometimes."

Ishimaru took the last bite of his food before excusing himself. Kuwata tried to get him to stay, saying "Hey, don't you wanna make plans with us?" but the prefect did not have time for activities such as karaoke. "I cannot. I must prepare myself for the material that we will be learning the day after tomorrow, and I suggest you all refrain from leisure time and make an effort to study as well." As he walked away he heard the gang leader yell "What's your problem, dude!?" but the hall monitor kept his focus and continued walking. This was a battle for another day, and he had studying to do.

After returning back to his room, the prefect took a minute to reflect on his new class. He was glad that they sat down with him and talked, because he felt he had gotten to know them a little better. It seemed as if the other students spoke differently around each other than they did in front of the headmaster. Although they could use more educational discipline, he felt that overall they were a pretty nice group of students... with maybe one glaring exception.


	5. Detention

There was nobody else in the classroom when Ishimaru arrived. It didn't surprise him, although he didn't feel fifteen minutes was really that early. He opened a notebook and got his pencil ready, but since he wasn't sure what else he needed to read to prepare for class he decided to reflect on the day before.

Despite the overwhelming prestige of the school, Hope's peak had surprisingly few worthwhile committees. There was a copious amount to choose from, but the gym was filled mostly with meaningless non-academically oriented clubs. Ishimaru found himself a little upset at both the time he wasted at the club fair and at the lack of a public morals committee. It looked as if the hall monitor would have to start one again just like he did at his previous high school.

While there, he looked around to see if any of his classmates were present, but to no avail. He figured they would show up later, it was still kind of early by most teenager's standards. Especially for obvious slackers like Kuwata and Oowada.

The hall monitor exited the club fair to return to his room and continue studying. Classes were to start tomorrow and he had already wasted enough time. Plus, the students were to meet with their new teachers after lunch and the prefect wanted to give the best first impression he could.

Five minutes went by while the prefect was thinking about the previous day, and some familiar voices broke his concentration.

His classmates started to trickle in around ten minutes before class started. They entered in the order that he expected - Asahina, Oogami, Naegi, Maizono, Yamada - but to his surprise the delinquent Oowada showed up sixth. Upon his arrival, Yamada turned to him and asked "Hey Mr. Oowada Mondo, sorry I missed your karaoke outing. How did it go?"

"Tch," the gang leader replied, "it was a bust. These guys were the only two to show up, along with Kuwata, but he was just hittin' on the chick the whole time." The hall monitor couldn't see who else he was pointing to, and although he was curious he stayed facing forward. Thankfully, Naegi spoke, thus revealing it was him that Oowada was talking about.

"Yeah, it was kind of fun, we just wish that others would have shown up."

"Sorry, Naegi, I wanted to but I'm scared to sing in front of others." Asahina whined. Oogami tagged on to her statement, "And I do not personally find much joy in singing." More students came in as they made their exchange, but the prefect kept his gaze toward the front of the classroom, waiting patiently for the teacher to arrive.

"Nah, don't worry about it," the gang leader insisted, "we just gotta find an activity everyone enjoys."

The hall monitor could no longer stay silent. His classmates were planning a non-school related event before class had even started. "You should focus more on your studies than on whatever meaningless activity you think everyone will enjoy," he said as he turned to face them.

To his surprise, almost everyone had entered the classroom and taken a seat. He would have tried to figure out who wasn't present, but he was interrupted.

"Hey," Oowada yelled out, "just who the fuck do you think you are?"

"I am Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Super High School Level Hall Monitor! It is my duty to make sure that my classmates are living up to their full potential as students!" By this time, he had locked eyes with Oowada.

"So that's how it is, you piece of shit? Think you're better than the rest of us?" Oowada had left his seat and was walking toward the Ishimaru. The hall monitor tensed up a little, but he never averted his gaze and his voice stayed strong.

"I do not think I am better than anyone. I am simply stating a fact." The gang leader was standing over him, but the prefect remained in his seat.

"C'mon, dude," Kuwata stuttered, "Calm down. Just leave 'em."

The gang leader kept his gaze on the hall monitor's, ignoring what Ishimaru felt were wise words. "I oughta kick your ass," Oowada growled.

"If that is what you wish to do," the prefect replied," then do it. It seems to be the only thing you know how to do."

The gang leader raised his fist. "That's it, you're fuckin' dead!"

"What on earth is all this screaming for?" a mature female voice rang into the classroom. It was the teacher, just in time. Ishimaru kept his composure, but felt an intense amount of relief. At least, for the moment.

"Boys!" she exclaimed once she grasped the situation. She raced over to the two young men, and Oowada dropped his fist. "You are aware that there is a 'no fighting' policy at this school?"

The hall monitor stood up and bowed to the teacher. "Yes teacher, I apologize and will accept whatever punishment you have for me, although I should make you aware that I had no intention of striking."

Oowada had less than perfect manners when addressing the teacher. "Yeah, sorry, whatever." Seriously, was this guy raised in a barn?

"You're lucky I caught you before any actual punches were thrown, or you could both be expelled," the teacher scolded them.

Ishimaru's heart sank. Expulsion? Wait. The teacher said they were lucky. That meant they were free from punishment.

"Although," the teacher remarked "I'm still going to have to give you both detention."

Ishimaru panicked. "But teacher!" the prefect cried out, "It was Oowada who instigated the fight!"

"Hey, jerk, don't pin this all on me!" the gang leader protested.

"Why not let our classmates testify on our behalf," Ishimaru said turning to face the obviously uncomfortable students in the room.

"That won't be necessary," their teacher said. "It takes two to argue, so you can both sit in here for an hour after school is over today. Since you, Ishimaru, would normally monitor detention, I guess I will have to stay after school today and watch you. I don't want to hear anything further about it, understand?"

"Yes, teacher," the hall monitor and gang leader said in unison. It made Ishimaru sick. He usually did not harbor any negative feelings for his fellow students, but this one seemed so adamant about being a failure that the hall monitor could not take it. He stewed all day long about how this brute was trying to drag him down to his level, even seeking out a different spot to eat lunch.

After the school day had ended, Ishimaru reported to his home room class for detention. The thought of it made him feel ill, but he would simply have to face this challenge head-on and keep a positive attitude. After this, all he had to do was avoid Oowada for the next two years. No problem.

"Hello, Ishimaru," the teacher said as he entered the room. "I know you've never had detention before, but I promise it isn't all that bad."

The prefect couldn't think of anything to say, this was a new experience for him. All he could do was force out an "I'm sure," before taking a seat. Oowada entered the room shortly after, and the teacher asked him to take a seat next to Ishimaru. With that, she started a conversation with the two boys.

"It's unusual for students to engage in fights outside of sparring at Hope's Peak, and even more unusual for it to occur on the first day of class. You two have only known each other for three days at the most, am I right?" Ishimaru promptly replied "That is correct! Two days to be exact!" while Oowada, slumped in his seat, mumbled "Yeah, what he said."

The teacher continued, "Well if you two can tell me what has got you so hot under the collar enough to want to punch each other after two days, and promise me that it won't happen again, I will let you out early."

The prefect didn't hesitate. "Mondo Oowada has shown no interest in his studies ever since the first time I met him, and he seems to resort to violence for everything considering he is in a gang. Also, he wears his uniform incorrectly, and although I know most students do not wear their uniform outside of school his choice of attire is incredibly sloppy. He also tried to punch me in the face today for explaining how to be a good student."

"What the Hell, man," the gang leader replied, "That's just stupid. We haven't event started school and you're accusing me of not studying, and you were being a jerk to the rest of us, and I forgot what else you said but it's wrong."

"How can it be wrong when you don't remember what I even said!?" The prefect was losing his patience.

"Okay, you two, settle down," the teacher insisted. "I think you just need to apologize for any misunderstandings you may have had. I'm sure Ishimaru is just trying to encourage you and your classmates to do their best, and I'm sure Oowada is a lot more invested in his studies than you think he is. The fact that he is here should be proof of that. Right, Ishimaru?"

This was ridiculous. Showing up was the bare minimum required to succeed at anything. He did not deserve praise for that. But the prefect was so uncomfortable, and he couldn't directly disagree with a superior. So, he agreed with her. "Yes, that is correct. I am sorry for thinking otherwise."

"And Oowada," she addressed the gang leader, "aren't you thankful that you have a classmate who cares about your future?"

"Yeah, I guess. Sorry for getting so hot-headed." His performance wasn't convincing at all. Ishimaru was not so easily deceived. But the teacher appeared to believe it, which was all that mattered.

"Okay. Then I guess we are done here. I don't want to see any more trouble from you two. Ishimaru, learn to hold your tongue, and Oowada, remember that you will be expelled if you hit anyone. You will both sit here in silence for five more minutes, then you are excused. I am going to work on some things and write a note. Don't worry, it's for personal reference only." She opened her bag at the front desk and began writing.

Ishimaru and Oowada both stayed the full five minutes, and when prompted by their teacher proceeded to get up and exit the room. Ishimaru wasn't intending on having a conversation, but they were going the same way so they were forced to walked together. Then, Oowada spoke.

"You're a pain in the ass. I was really thinking things were gonna be different here, but if anything you showed me that I was wrong." He seemed almost kind of... sad.

Ishimaru tried to get an explanation out of him, but only managed to get a "What," out before being interrupted.

"Just forget it, okay? I ain't got shit to say to you." His tone had switched to anger, and as he finished speaking he stormed off.

The hall monitor stopped and watched the other boy sprint down the hallway. He wanted to yell 'no running in the halls,' but for some reason the words wouldn't come out. The hall monitor was left utterly confused. He had known kids like this before. What was so different about this boy that caused the prefect to think about him so much?


	6. Brother

The first three weeks at Hope's Peak Academy were more enjoyable than expected. It was nice to have a group of people to eat lunch with, and although he always objected in favor of studying, Ishimaru liked the feeling of being invited to group outings. He would sometimes study with Fujisaki and Naegi, and his morning run was much more enjoyable with Asahina and Oogami running along side him. Still, having an actual one-on-one conversation with his classmates eluded the prefect. No matter how many times he listened to the others chat with each other, he couldn't quite get the hang of it himself.

He also liked that for the most part his classmates were well behaved. At his old high school, despite it's status, Ishimaru usually had to monitor several students in detention daily. Here, there were only three offenders. Kuwata had about four detentions so far, Celes got detention for being late to class once, and Oowada... Oowada was the reason Ishimaru found himself monitoring detention three days a week.

The two had some kind of bizarre ritual involving detention. Oowada would skip class, Ishimaru would give him detention, Mondo would sleep in detention while Ishimaru did his homework. They never even said a word to each other. Ishimaru felt it was best to refrain from speaking to the gang leader, lest he find himself at the end of his fist. The punch would hurt, and most importantly, fighting was grounds for expulsion.

The last bell of the day rang, and Ishimaru and Oowada made their way to the room dedicated to detention for their class. Ishimaru got out his book and began reading, but a few minutes in he felt.. uncomfortable, as if he was being watched. He lifted his gaze up to peek at the only other boy in the room, and noticed he was right. Oowada was staring him down, arms crossed.

As awkward as it was, Ishimaru made a promise to himself to not get tangled up in any more situations with the gang leader. He continued his reading, but the longer this went on, the more paranoid he got. He glanced up from his book every few sentences, the gang leader staring him down every single time. After about ten minutes of this, the hall monitor couldn't take it any more.

He thought of saying something about Oowada's daily naps, but chose to refrain and ask a more polite question. "Is there a problem, Oowada?"

The biker let out an annoyed sigh. "You bet there's a problem, you little shit."

"Language, please." Ishimaru tried to think of what the problem could be, but nothing really stuck out in his head and he pressed the gang leader for more information. "Well, what is it?"

The gang leader took a breath, uncrossed his arms and leaned forward a little. "I got people way tougher than you all across this country who piss themselves at the name 'Mondo Oowada.' People I ain't even met, and who'll never meet me." He leaned back, taking another deep breath. "Then I meet you. It's been botherin' me ever since the first day a' class. Here I am, about to knock you the fuck out, and you're just sittin' there. Then the teacher comes in, and you're just like 'oh sorry, teach, it's not my fault,' and she gives you a detention and you almost had a heart attack. What the FUCK is your deal, man?"

Ishimaru took in the lengthy explanation, not quite sure of what the gang leader was trying to say. "Of course I didn't want detention. Unlike you, I have plans for the future, and a detention on my record could keep me from achieving my goals. Also, I would have dodged your punch."

The gang leader's brows furrowed, his expression growing angrier and his voice getting louder. "See, this is the shit I'm talkin' about. Do you even hear yourself talk?"

"Of course! I never say anything that I do not mean!" The hall monitor could feel his face replicating the one he was looking at.

"Yeah, but do you have to say every stupid thought that pops into you're head?"

"Only a coward would refrain from speaking their mind." Ishimaru could feel himself getting hotter with anger. He knew he had to stop talking to the delinquent in front of him, but it got harder to stop every time the gang leader spoke. Especially now that the prefect had clearly pressed a major button.

The gang leader stood up, clenching his fists. "What did you call me mother fucker?"

Ishimaru held his ground. "Oowada, you are to stay seated in detention!" The gang leader sat down, and Ishimaru continued. "Only a coward would resort to violence when times become difficult, and you seem to resort to violence every chance you get."

"Okay, then prove you're NOT a coward and come say that shit to my face."

The hall monitor didn't even try to resist the urge. He was going to end this ridiculousness right now and prove he was the better man. He closed his book and walked over to the desk in front of Oowada's, turning the chair so he could face the gang leader as he sat down.

"I will say it slowly so you can understand. You. Are. A. Coward."

"Well guess what, fucker, I'm gonna prove you wrong and not kick the shit out of you, even though you deserve it."

"Being able to control yourself temporarily is nothing to be lauded. I have maintained a strict disciplinary code my entire life, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life. All you will continue to do is damage property and hurt people. And another thing: you refuse to plan for the event that you are no longer a gang leader. That is not a plausible career choice and you know it. Do you really think that you can live a successful life with the way you are leading it now?

The gang leader raised his voice even more, but Ishimaru saw a different emotion in his face than anger. Was it.. fear?

"I know that! You really think I don't know that!?" The gang leader took a few deep breaths, calming himself. After he was done, he resumed speaking in a normal tone. "Look, I know I don't seem like it, but I'm not an idiot. I know I gotta do something else after I graduate. That's why I came to this school in the first place. I mean, I know I fucked up any chance I got of gettin' into college, but I do have some kinda plan."

The hall monitor was shocked. He had thought the delinquent before him had never even thought of college, and was intrigued by what this 'plan' was. "You do?" He asked, eagerly awaiting an answer.

The gang leader let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, y'know how you said I damage things? Well I wanna do something productive and be a carpenter." He let out a nervous laugh. "But I'm not doin' so hot on that, am I? Daiya'd prolly be pissed..."

The hall monitor started to feel some empathy toward the gang leader, and his curiosity got the best of him. "Who is Daiya?"

"Oh, Daiya was my brother. He died in a motorcycle accident... I didn't really have my parents growing up, so Daiya was the one who raised me. He's the reason I joined the gang in the first place... but that doesn't mean he didn't want me to do well in school. I bet Chuck would be disappointed, too..."

"Was Chuck another brother?"

"No, dude, Chuck was my dog! He was a super smart Maltese! He'd do all kinds of tricks. He only lasted nine years, though." The tension between the two boys had completely disappeared. Although the content of the conversation was sad, Ishimaru was at ease. He liked listening to Oowada talk about his past, and wanted to try and comfort him.

"I'm sorry about your brother, and your dog."

"Nah, it's cool. Ya can't change the past. Anyway, I wouldn't expect a rich genius like you to understand."

Ishimaru felt the anger come back. "Don't ever compare me to someone like that!" he shouted, standing up from his seat. He felt like giving Oowada a lecture, but the surprised look on his face made him reconsider, along with Oowada's apologies of "Dude, sit down, I'm sorry!"

Ishimaru took his seat, and proceeded to explain the sudden outburst to the gang leader. "It seems that you have misjudged me as well. I'm not a genius, and I'm not rich. Have you heard of Toranosuke Ishimaru?"

"Uh, it sounds familiar, but..."

The hall monitor continued, looking away from the gang leader. "He was my grandfather. He was also prime minister. He was a genius, and because if that he was able to rise in rank in the political field right out of high school. He never knew failure, and because of that his first taste of failure led to a complete downfall. His political career as well as his enterprise fell, leaving my family with a large amount of debt. That's why I work so hard, I want to bring my family name out of shame and be able to finally pay off those debts that my parents have worked so hard to get rid of." He turned his gaze back to the gang leader, and was surprised to see sympathy in his expression.

"Dude, that's rough. Sorry, man, it looks like we both got troubles."

Ishimaru looked away again. "Well, at least you have your gang to fall back on. I've only ever had my parents, and now they're hours away. I've never been able to make friends. I've tried talking to kids my age, but for some reason conversations never lasted more than a few minutes. Even with the students here, they are nice and I can study with them for an hour or two, but when I try to engage in conversation they never seem interested and always find a reason to leave." He felt tears start to form, but held them back. He then asked himself out loud, "Is this what it's like to have a 'normal conversation'?"

To his surprise, the gang leader lifted his arm and placed a hand firmly on his shoulder. "Dude, that sucks. I didn't realize you had such a hard life." Ishimaru looked at Oowada, and noticed a smile on his face as he comforted the hall monitor. "But you don't gotta worry about it anymore, 'cause you and me are friends."

Ishimaru didn't know how to feel. He felt joy, but it was overcome by surprise and confusion. "What? A-are you sure?"

The gang leader smiled even bigger. "Yeah, of course! Heck, I'd even call you a brother!"

It was the happiest the hall monitor had been in awhile. He felt a smile form on his face, and the warmth of his new found friendship overtook him. "Yes! I will call you 'brother' from now on!" He placed his hand on the gang leader's shoulder. "You really are a nice guy, Mondo!"

A look of discomfort swept across Oowada's face. "Yeah, whatever, just don't say that to anyone else. I got a reputation to uphold." The two sat in silence for a few seconds before Oowada made a suggestion that would change Ishimaru's life at Hope's Peak. "Say, Bro. You never really come with us 'cause you're studyin' all the time, but I think you'd really enjoy hanging out with the rest of our class. Why don't you take a break from all your studyin' and come watch this movie with us later? Kuwata has this cheesy horror flick he wants to show us."

The hall monitor didn't know what to say. "Um, well.. Thank you, but... I think I should study. We have a quiz the day after tomorrow."

"Aw, c'mon, Bro, I'm sure you know it already." The prefect didn't respond, not wanting to throw away everything that had just happened. He wanted so bad not to lose his first friend, but he also didn't want to stray from the path of his title of Super High School Level Hall Monitor.

"Well," Oowada said, breaking the silence, "If you'd really rather study, I'll skip the movie and study with you."

Owada had surprised Ishimaru again. "Are you sure?"

"Of course! It's what friends do." He smiled at the prefect, and gave him a thumbs up.

It was such a wonderful feeling. Ishimaru wasn't sure what the best response was, but he wanted to return the kindness that Oowada had shown him. He put his desire to study to the side, and made a request. "Would it be possible for us to stay for half of the movie, and study afterward?"

Oowada shrugged. "Sure, why not."

"Then let's do that!" Ishimaru stood up to return to the desk at the front of the room, and looked at the clock. "My heavens!" he cried out, "It's already 5:20! We stayed twenty minutes longer than necessary!"

Oowada laughed. "No big deal, I had fun talking to you. How about we go get dinner? I know a ramen shop close by. My treat!"

Ishimaru accepted the proposal, and they left the classroom each with an arm around the other's shoulder.


	7. Dinner

The walk back to the dormitories was much more enjoyable now that Ishimaru and Oowada were on good terms with each other. They talked a little more about how they planned to meet their goals for after high school, and when they got to Oowada's room they decided that the gang leader would change clothes and meet up with Ishimaru in his room after he was done.

It only took a minute or two for Ishimaru to put his school bag in its proper place and double-check his room to make sure everything was the same as how he left it. He knew he was supposed to wait for the gang leader to come get him, but it seemed rather silly to sit and wait when he was ready to go, so he decided to meet up with Oowada in his room. He made sure to lock his door and made his way to the gang leader's room. Oowada answered the door almost immediately after Ishimaru rang his doorbell wearing only his uniform pants. The hall monitor knew he was very well-built, but seeing him without a shirt on gave him a feeling he couldn't quite place.

"Sorry it's taking so long, come in." The gang leader stepped back, making room for the hall monitor to enter. Ishimaru stepped through the door, trying to avert his eyes but wanting to look at Mondo's shirtless form at the same time. "No, I am sorry for interrupting."

"I got all my clothes out I wanted to change into, and I noticed a huge fuckin' stain on my pants so I kinda got distracted..." The delinquent proceeded to change his pants and put on a shirt. "Hey man, you okay? You're face is kind of red."

Ishimaru thought he'd noticed his face felt a little warm. "Oh! No, I'm fine. I... I was just born with a red face."

"Whatever, bro." The gang leader put on his Crazy Diamonds jacket and picked his wallet up from off the bed. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's head out."

The prefect stood up, eager to have a meal on good terms with his new brother. "Yes! I am rather hungry!"

Mondo gave a small chuckle. "You sure are fired up all the time, Bro," he said as they exited the room and made their way toward their destination.

Ishimaru held back a groan. "Not you too, Brother. Fellow students have said that I am 'fired up' for as long as I can remember."

The gang leader laughed again. "Sorry, Bro, I didn't mean anything by it."

"No, there is no need to apologize," Ishimaru protested. "I don't really know what anybody else meant when they said it, either. I just think that having a positive attitude and putting all the effort you can into everything is important."

"Well I think that's pretty cool." Mondo put his arm around the prefect's shoulder, leaning down a little.

"If you say so, I won't object!" Ishimaru returned the gesture, their arms around each other until they had reached the ramen shop. Thankfully it was only a couple of blocks; Mondo's superior height and strength made walking like that a little uncomfortable. The hall monitor enjoyed the bonding experience, though, so he didn't want to cut it off too short.

Once they entered the small building, they noticed that Junko and Mukuro were already seated in the restaurant.

"Hey, Junko! Mukuro!" the gang leader cried out as he waved his hand in the air. The two girls turned their heads toward the boys, and waved back.

"Hey, Oowada, come sit with us!" Junko yelled out. A look of shock came over her face, and she noted the apparent strangeness of the situation as they made their way toward the girls and sat down.

"Wait, Oowada... are you voluntarily hanging out with Ishimaru," the model turned to address the hall monitor, "Or is this some kind of weird detention thing?"

Ishimaru was excited to proclaim their bond publicly. "Absolutely not! Detention has ended, and Oowada and I are spending our time together willingly!"

Mondo slapped Ishimaru on the back . "Yeah, we had our differences, but that's in the past now."

The hall monitor was so happy to have his new brother confirm their friendship to their classmates. For some reason, it made it seem that much more real.

"Well that sure is crazy, huh Mukuro?" Junko turned to her sister, and the soldier nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's a little odd."

The group ordered their food and carried on in discussion about a few different things, though honestly it was mostly Oowada and Junko doing all the talking. Mukuro sat quietly, giving a "Yes," or "No," to Junko when prompted, but for the most part seemed as if she didn't really want to join in the conversation. Ishimaru, however, was eager to talk with his brother and, with his new-found confidence, wanted to see if he could carry on a conversation with Junko as well. Junko had just mentioned how beautiful the cherry blossoms were this year when Ishimaru decided to try and join the discussion.

"Yes, they were quite lovely this year. I attended a cherry blossom viewing festival in my hometown with my parents. They wanted to take me because of my coming to Hope's Peak Academy." His eyes darted between the three other students as he spoke, trying to gauge their reactions.

"Oh yeah, Mukuro and I go every year. Ooh, tell 'em what happened that one year, sis!" She nudged her sister lightly. "It was so funny."

Mukuro blushed. "Junko, it's not that funny..." The soldier looked away, but Junko begged a little more and the soldier finally gave in. "When we were kids, I pushed a boy in the lake and he pulled me in with him."

Junko seemed like she could barely contain herself as she elaborated on the story. "He kept asking me out and I was like 'We are six! You're gross! Go away!' Eventually Mukuro pushed him in the lake and even though he pulled her in, too, he left me alone after that. It was so sweet." Junko laughed as she recounted the event.

Oowada joined back in the conversation with ease. "Oh yeah, my brother used to do stuff like that for me, at least until I got old enough to fight for myself. I don't think we ever really went to any viewing festivals, though."

Ishimaru inadvertently raised the volume of his voice, wondering how Oowada could have never been to a cherry blossom viewing festival. "Oh, Brother, next year you must go with me! It is absolutely wonderful, and the symbolism you feel at the festival is so spiritual!"

Mondo put his hand on the prefect's shoulder. "Alright, alright, I'll go. I'm sure it'll be fun."

The four students finished their meal, and walked back to the school with thirty minutes to spare.

"We're supposed to go get a few other people, so we'll just meet you in the A.V. room in a little bit, 'kay?"

"Yeah, see ya there." The girls waved as they walked away, Oowada waving back at them. He then turned to Ishimaru. "We got some time, what do you wanna do?"

"It won't matter if we go to the A.V. room early, right? Let's go there!"

"Alright," the gang leader agreed. "I guess we can get a good seat." As the two made their way to the A.V. room, Ishimaru was overcome with delight, feeling as though he had butterflies in his stomach. Was this the feeling that everyone associated with 'true friendship?'


	8. Movie

As the two boys made their way to the A.V. room, Ishimaru wondered if he had just managed to have a 'normal conversation' with Junko. Talking with just Oowada seemed effortless, he just expressed how he was truly feeling without any sort of pressure to sound like he knew what he was talking about. Talking with Junko, on the other hand, felt like he was trying to remember lines from a play. He figured he would ask Oowada how he performed. The gang leader was present during the banter, after all.

"Brother, do you think I reacted normally during our interaction with Junko and Mukuro?"

"Huh?" The gang leader seemed taken aback by the question at first, but he quickly understood what Ishimaru meant. "Oh yeah, ya did fine. I mean, cherry blossom festivals are somethin' people like talkin' about."

Ishimaru was unconvinced. He wanted to believe his brother, but all his life his only interaction with other students was over homework and rules and being left by himself when trying to discuss the issues facing Japan and the world.

Then, as if Oowada could read his mind, the gang leader placed his hand on the prefect's shoulder and gave him a smile. "Just act natural and don't lecture people. 'S all you gotta do."

Ishimaru smiled back. "Yes, you're right! I am over thinking this 'normal conversation' thing."

"Why?" the gang leader asked "You like Junko or somethin'?"

The hall monitor blushed "What!? No! Why... what gave you that idea!?" He and... Junko? Sure, she was pretty being a model and all, but Ishimaru certainly didn't think of her in that way. He had never really thought of any girls that way.

Oowada laughed. "Geez, Bro, I'm just teasin'." He ruffled the prefect's hair. "Sorry, Bro, I won't joke like that anymore."

The hall monitor took a breath to calm himself. "No, it's alright. That's what friends do, isn't it?"

"Sure thing! Course, if I ever say somethin' you don't like, jus' tell me and I'll stop. And you do the same. Deal?"

Ishimaru smiled at his brother. "Deal."

When they finally reached the A.V. room, they noticed that Kuwata and Maizono were already there, sitting in the front of the room holding hands.

"Public displays of affection are not allowed on school grounds!" The hall monitor proclaimed, pointing a finger at them. The two whipped their hands away from each other and looked back at him with a surprised look on their faces, Oowada grabbing his extended arm and pushing it down to his side.

"Bro, calm down, they ain't doin' nothin' wrong," the gang leader said, trying to save face.

"Yeah," the baseball star said. "It's not like we're kissing."

"No, it's alright," Maizono said with a smile. "I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. Plus I really shouldn't, anyway..."

The hall monitor covered his mouth with his fist and cleared his throat. "I apologize. I suppose it was a bit of an overreaction, however-"

"No, seriously, Ishimaru, it's fine," Maizono said, cutting the hall monitor off.

"Hey, wait a second," Kuwata suddenly shouted, "what are you two doin' all buddy-buddy? Did you just call him 'Bro?'"

"Ugh," Oowada moaned, "Why the fuck do people keep bringin' that up? Come on, Bro, let's sit down."

Once they sat down, Ishimaru felt the need to elaborate on he and Oowada's friendship. "We may have had our differences before, but we have learned to see past those differences!"

"Woah, man, sorry," Kuwata said defensively. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"Nah, it's okay," Oowada said, "I just don't want everyone bein' all weird about it an' shit."

Ishimaru felt a little hurt. Was his brother embarrassed by their friendship all of a sudden?

Maizono got her cell phone out and began typing. "I'll let everyone know not to bother you guys."

Oowada tensed up. "Don't do that, that's even more embarrassing!"

She smiled, putting down her cell phone. "Oops! Too late," she said with a laugh.

Oowada sighed and looked at Ishimaru. "Oh well, what can ya do." He placed his arm around the prefect again, dispelling the uneasiness Ishimaru was feeling before. Ishimaru returned the gesture, wondering why he had ever doubted his brother's feelings in the first place.

"By the way, Ishimaru," Maizono said, "I don't think any of us have your cell phone number. I think you were gone when we all traded numbers. If you want, I can send it to everyone and let you look at mine so you can put everyone else's in your phone."

The hall monitor was hesitant. "Are you sure everyone is okay with that?"

"Of course! We wanted your number, you just weren't there when we exchanged them," she said smiling.

As Ishimaru was programming the numbers into his phone, the other students started to trickle in. He noticed they all took a quick glance at him and Oowada, and apparently Oowada had noticed too. "Tch, assholes need ta mind their own business," the gang leader quietly said to the hall monitor. "I don't care, I just don't like being stared at."

"Yes, but soon our bond will be synonymous with us and they will think it is weird for us to argue," the hall monitor tried to reassure his brother.

"Sure, Bro." The words were confident, but the tone and expression on the gang leader's face made Ishimaru think either he was lying or he didn't understand what the prefect had just said. Ishimaru assumed it was the latter.

Almost everyone was there, Togami and Fukawa were the only two not present. It seemed as if that was typical, but Ishimaru had also been absent from class gatherings until today so he figured they had their reasons. The students who were there were all talking to each other, and some of them had brought snacks. Naegi asked everyone if they wanted some of what he brought, and when he got to Asahina she just giggled, saying "I already have my powdered donuts, so I'm good to go!"

Once everyone was seated, Kuwata stood up and spoke over the chatter of the room. "Alright, alright, quiet down you guys. Now, you all know this is supposed to be a horror film, but I promise it's so stupid that you'll all be laughing your asses off by the end. Yamada, you wanna pop it in and start it?"

"Yes, of course Mr. Leon Kuwata." Yamada was already sitting close to the front by Kuwata and the DVD player, so he only needed to reach over and take the movie from Kuwata and place it in the machine. Kuwata also asked someone to turn the lights off, and since Hagakure was the closest he proceeded to turn them off, darkening the room.

Ishimaru immediately noticed that the production value of the film wasn't very good, which was saying something since he hadn't seen any actual movies for a long time. There was something about a small town, a ghost, and people disappearing, and the protagonist had really thick eyebrows. The others joked with Ishimaru a little bit about it, and he laughed along with them. Whenever a 'scary' scene happened, Asahina would grab on tightly to Oogami's arm, mumbling about how much she hated ghosts. Kirigiri and Celes sat in silence, eyes glued to the screen with a look of boredom on their faces. At one point, one of the characters said what every other student thought was the most ridiculous line ever, the group breaking out into roaring laughter. Ishimaru checked his watch, sad that it was already twenty minutes past when he wanted to leave.

Ishimaru tapped his brother on the shoulder and pointed to his watch. Oowada gave him a look of 'okay,' and just as the two were about to stand up the ghost in the movie jumped out of a closet and attacked someone, causing Asahina to scream and throw her donuts in the air. Small bits of fried dough and white powder went everywhere, landing on everybody in the room. Suddenly, everyone was looking at Asahina in horror.

"Holy shit, girl, you can't just scream in a small room like that!" Junko yelled at the terrified teen.

"Yes, I'm going to have to excuse myself and change out of these dirty clothes," Celes angrily proclaimed as she stormed out of the room.

Asahina took a deep breath and apologized. "I'm sorry..."

Suddenly, Kirigiri began to laugh, and every other student laughed along with her. "I have to admit," the usually stoic girl said trying to stifle her laugh, "it was amusing seeing Oogami jump after you screamed Asahina."

Oogami smiled. "Yes, it seems I was caught off guard."

"Oh, Sakura, I'm so sorry!" Asahina was blushing bright red.

Everyone assured the poor girl that it was alright, and she began laughing along with them. Yamada paused the movie to allow everyone a chance to calm down, and just when Kuwata asked if they were ready to start it up again Ishimaru made a suggestion.

"Shouldn't we clean up a little before proceeding with the movie?" Ishimaru suggested. He knew he wasn't supposed to 'lecture' his classmates, but there really was no reason to keep the room messy any longer than it needed to be.

"Are you serious, dude?" Kuwata asked.

Surprisingly, Fujisaki stood up to defend the hall monitor. "No, I think he's right, we may as well clean up now. That way we don't have to worry about it later."

A few of the students groaned and the rest happily got up to help clean the powdery mess off the desk and floor. After they were finished, Oowada asked Ishimaru if he was ready to go study now, but the hall monitor had been having so much fun he didn't want it to end.

"Are you sure you're okay with staying, Bro?" the gang leader asked him.

"Yes," the hall monitor confidently replied, "I admit that I feel a little guilty for choosing this over studying, but all my homework is finished and we don't have any tests soon." Ishimaru looked up at his brother and smiled. "Besides, I've never had this much fun in my entire life."


	9. Donuts

The weeks following the movie screening proved to be very socially satisfying for Ishimaru. He had been talking to the other students more, albeit mostly only when Oowada was around. He still focused mostly on his studies, though he didn't have any issue cavorting with his classmates every now and again as long as he kept his grades up. He was especially friendly with Asahina and Sakura, as he had been continuing to go on morning runs with them, meeting them at the track for quite a while now. He usually just listened to the two girls converse with each other, though it was interesting enough that he didn't mind just listening.

Ishimaru was getting ready to go on his morning run when he heard a knock on the door. The unforeseen sound was odd considering he wasn't expecting anybody, and when he answered the door he was surprised to see Asahina on the other side.

"Asahina! Good morning!" The prefect perked up, the volume of his voice giving away the shock he felt at having the swimmer at his door.

"Oh, good morning Ishimaru!" The swimmer was just as chipper as she usually was, though she seemed a little uneasy. "Sakura isn't feeling well, and I'm kind of scared to walk all the way to the track in the dark... so..."

"Oh my goodness!" Ishimaru cried out. "Is she alright!?"

"Oh, yeah, just a stomach ache. She'll be fine. But... um..." Asahina looked as if she wanted to say more, but she couldn't for some reason. Perhaps she was embarrassed?

"So... would you like for me to walk with you?" Ishimaru was startled at Asahina's apprehensiveness. She was always so straight-forward and ready to speak her mind. Could it be that even someone as open as Asahina had trouble expressing herself sometimes?

"Yeah," Asahina said, a rosy tint forming across her cheeks. "Do you mind?"

"No, not at all!" Ishimaru was glad, to ask him of something like this surely meant that she was comfortable around him and trusted him. "Why, I would be delighted to walk you to the track! I am so happy to see you are being safe, Asahina!"

"Oh, thanks, Ishimaru!" The swimmer gave a warm smile. "So, how much longer do you need?"

"Oh, I just need to go to the kitchen to fill my water bottle."

Asahina looked kind of surprised. "Oh! Okay, well go ahead and do that and then meet me at my room? I need to get my gym bag."

"Alright, that sounds good! I will see you in a few minutes, Asahina!"

Asahina returned to her room, and Ishimaru got his water bottle and headed to the water fountain. A few other students were around as usual, mostly athletes starting their morning routine. Ishimaru wanted to talk to them, but he figured he should stick to talking to his classmates for now.

Ishimaru began walking back to Asahina's room, but she had caught up with him before the prefect managed to reach her door. Their walk to the track was a pleasant one, and while Ishimaru was nervous to carry on a conversation with someone other than Oowada completely alone, he was glad it was Asahina. It was strange considering she was a girl, but he felt he could relate to her the most of all his classmates. He admired her dedication to physical activities, and she was always willing to chime in on pep talks when he felt his classmates needed them.

The sun was just starting to come over the horizon as Ishimaru and Asahina reached the academy's impressive track. Upon reaching their destination, the teenagers commenced their usual stretching routine. Ishimaru and Asahina would alternate who called out the stretches to do and who counted each day with Sakura following along. They were just about finished stretching when Asahina made a proposal. "Say, wanna have a race?"

The concept intrigued the prefect, and he was happy to hear it. Ishimaru was disappointed in himself for not thinking of it first. "Of course, Asahina, that is a splendid idea!"

Asahina giggled, though it seemed like nervous laughter. "You don't have to be so formal all the time. Anyway, loser buys breakfast?"

Ishimaru was taken aback by Asahina's comment. "Oh! Am I too formal? I'm sorry."

The swimmer laughed, this time seeming genuine. "That can't be the first time someone has told you that."

Ishimaru forced a smile, thinking it was the right thing to do considering Asahina was laughing. "You're right, Brother tells me that quite often... I mean a lot."

Asahina gave the hall monitor a thumbs up. "There ya go." She stood up, stretching some more. "So, you ready to buy me breakfast?"

"Actually, Asahina, it is you who will be buying me breakfast." Ishimaru felt a genuine smile form across his face as he joked around with the swimmer.

The two teenagers ran a few laps at a moderate pace together to warm up, then took a three-minute break before lining up side-by-side at the starting line.

"You still sure you wanna do this, Ishimaru?" Asahina coyly asked with a confident smile.

"Of course! A man never backs down from a challenge!" Ishimaru replied assuredly.

Ishimaru counted down. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Asahina started off strong, but Ishimaru caught up to her about a quarter-way around the track. As the prefect passed the swimmer, he felt confident that victory would be his. He wasn't even exerting his full potential. He was saving all his strength for the last stretch, the best possible strategy.

Ishimaru had only about 50 meters to go when he felt his victory was cemented, reaching full speed to ensure Asahina could not catch up. But then, seemingly out of nowhere, the swimmer caught up and passed the hall monitor, sprinting at such an incredible pace he could not believe it. The swimmer must have beaten him by only 1 second, but it was clear that she was the winner.

"Yeah!" Asahina cried out in victory, collapsing to ground and breathing heavily.

Ishimaru dropped to his knees, needing to catch his breath as well. "Aw, no! I can't believe I lost!"

Asahina laughed. "Haha, don't worry, Ishimaru. I'm in track, remember?" She sat up and gave the hall monitor a wink. "Good thing Sakura wasn't racing with us or she would have won! Though I do wish she could have seen that..." Her smile faded a little bit.

Ishimaru was concerned. "Are you worried about her? Should we check on her?"

Asahina waved her hand around, as if the idea was tangible and she could bat it out of the air. "Oh no, she is fine, I'm sure! She just needs her rest."

The two sat in awkward silence for a few seconds before Asahina perked back up, rising to her feet. "Well, I think you owe me some donuts!"

"Donuts?" Ishimaru questioned. "Wasn't the deal to buy breakfast?" He rose to his feet as well.

"Don't you know anything, Ishimaru? The only breakfast food worth eating is donuts!"

Ishimaru was taken aback by the swimmer's comment, but he was not surprised. The girl did express a love of donuts quite often, and although he wanted to lecture her on what a proper Japanese breakfast should entail, he remembered Oowada's words about lecturing his classmates and held his tongue.

The two changed into their school uniforms and wandered a few blocks away from the academy to a very quaint and upscale cafe. Ishimaru gulped nervously, fearing he would be unable to afford whatever price the cafe charged. He had never been inside such a lovely looking food establishment before, but he had been told by his parents that such places were too expensive for his family to give patronage to. The hall monitor was also still kind of wary about telling the other students how little money his family really had. He was not ashamed by the fact that his family could be better off financially, but the story behind it was simply too embarrassing.

"Oh, fancy seeing you two here," a familiar voice rang out. Ishimaru turned toward the sound to see Celes sitting as a table by herself with a half-eaten pastry on her plate.

Asahina immediately walked over to the gambler. "Hey Celes! What are you doing here by yourself?"

"I was trying to have a nice quiet meal at my favorite cafe." The words, as usual, were cold but her expression was warm and inviting. Ishimaru was able to talk to Asahina, Junko, even Mukuro, but Celes was simply too hard for the prefect to read.

"Was it your intent to eat alone, Celes?" he asked the gambler.

"Yes. I enjoy coming to this cafe every morning for my milk tea and strawberry pastry." The smile on her face was unwavering. "I call it 'me time.'"

"Well, Celes, if you don't want us to bother you, I guess we'll leave you alone."

"Yes, I will see you in class later." The gambler rose from her seat, leaving her half-eaten pastry and exiting the building.

Asahina seemed disappointed. Ishimaru didn't blame her, Celes was one of the few of their classmates that they never spent any time with and knew nothing about. It couldn't be helped, though, so they chose an empty table and sat down. Upon seeing a menu, Ishimaru's fears of being unable to afford the meal were confirmed. 1,000 yen for one fancy donut. One would be fine, but the prefect had to pay for at least two. Not to mention Asahina more than likely wanted more than one donut, plus the two of them needed something to drink.

"Oh man, you know what I just realized?" Ishimaru nearly jumped at the sudden outburst from the swimmer. "We're like totally under-dressed for this place."

The thought hadn't even crossed Ishimaru's mind. The hall monitor only ever wore his high school uniform, the appropriate attire for any student, so he never considered himself to be 'under-dressed.'

"Is that a problem?" Asahina had specifically chosen this place, so he was curious as to how she would just realize they seemed 'under-dressed.' "Did you just forget how you were dressed the last time you were here?"

"I..." Asahina's face turned red. "I actually have never eaten here before."

The comment had caught the prefect by surprise. "But I thought you had! You walked us directly here!"

"I know, I actually just saw it and thought it seemed nice, but..." She looked around nervously at their surroundings, then back to Ishimaru. "I actually think I'd rather eat at my usual place."

Asahina and Ishimaru left the establishment to venture quite a few blocks away, and Ishimaru began to worry about being late to school. Their first class started in 40 minutes, and they were probably a fifteen-minute walk from school. "Asahina, are you sure we have time for this?"

"Don't worry, my favorite shop is just right up here." She smiled, almost laughing. "I'm sorry I took you all the way to the other place. It seemed nice and I didn't want to take a boy to this old place." She increased the speed of her steps, walking right up to the window. "Four regulars, please!"

Ishimaru didn't know what to make of what Asahina had said. 'Take a boy?' Was Asahina trying to impress him? The more he thought about it, the less sense it made. The words consumed his thoughts until his concentration was suddenly broken.

"Hey! Ishimaru!" Asahina was waving her hand in front of his face. "You in there?"

"Oh! Yes, I apologize! I must have been lost in thought."

The swimmer giggled. "It's ok. What were you thinkin' about?" Asahina handed Ishimaru two of the donuts.

"Oh, n-nothing," The prefect stuttered.

Asahina giggled again. "If you say so. Take a bite, you'll love 'em! And don't worry, I paid"

Ishimaru took a bite, then it suddenly dawned on him that he had not lived up to their deal. "Mmm! I wads s'ppose t'pay!" Ishimaru protested with his mouth full.

"Don't worry about it, you can just owe me."

Ishimaru was genuinely touched. Asahina had showed him the same kindness that Oowada had shown him. He didn't think he would start spending a lot of time with the swimmer, but he definitely knew that if he could depend on her if he needed anything. It seemed he had made his second friend.

"Well, we better get back. Don't wanna be late for class right?" Asahina said, a grin on her face.

"Yes, let's head back!" Ishimaru responded, smiling back at her.


End file.
